Harry Potter - What If He Had Been a Devout Christian?
by r2r4l
Summary: The title is self explanatory. You have to read it to find out the rest.
1. Chapter 1

**DISCLAIMER: ** I do not own Harry Potter, Stargate, or anything else you may find in my story that in any way resembles a character, story, or plot that is owned by another person.

Review Responses, if any, are at the end of the chapter.

Chapter 1

Hagrid showed up to give Harry his Hogwarts letter.

Harry refused. "I don't want to be a wizard."

"Why not?" asked Hagrid.

"Because magic is evil, it's the work of the devil, and my aunt and uncle say magic is for freaks, and I don't want to be a freak."

"What?" asked Hagrid? How is magic the work of the devil?"

Harry continued "It says in the Holy Bible, Deuteronomy 18:10-12, Let no one be found among you who…practices divination or sorcery, interprets omens, engages in witchcraft, or casts spells, or who is a medium or spiritist or who consults the dead. Anyone who does these things is detestable to the Lord…and Leviticus 20:6 warns, "If a person turns to mediums and wizards…I will set my face against that person."

"So you see? It is against the Law of God. I don't want to be detestable to the Lord." concluded Harry.

As Harry was lecturing Hagrid, his aunt and uncle puffed up with pride. Perhaps they had gotten through to the boy. Maybe they could treat him a little nicer if he's come around to the right way of thinking.

"Well Harry, I don't rightly know about such things. I never finished school myself. I will pass along what you said to Headmaster Dumbledore."

"Sure, you do that. Goodbye." said Harry.

After Hagrid left, Harry said to his aunt and uncle. "Do you believe the nerve of that guy? What a nutter." said Harry.

Petunia said, "Well, you handled that well Harry. Your uncle and I are proud of you. We'll return to our home tomorrow now that owl business is sorted out. Good job. Oh and Harry?"

"Yes, aunt Petunia?" asked Harry.

"Happy Birthday." smiled aunt Petunia.

Harry got a big grin on his face and said, "Thank you aunt Petunia." and he ran over and gave her a hug around her waste because that was as far as he reached. She just patted him on the head. This was certainly all new for all of them.

...

Two days later back at Privet drive, Headmaster Dumbledore showed up at their door.

He asked the same thing of Harry, and Harry repeated what he told Hagrid.

Dumbledore was astonished. His grand scheme to have Harry raised in a muggle household that hated magic had a profound unexpected consequence. Of course anyone who knew anything about your run of the mill average muggle household, could have anticipated the possibility.

"But, Mr. Potter, what about your parents? They were a witch and wizard and would have wanted you to attend Hogwarts." said Dumbledore.

"Mr. Dumbledore, I never got to know my parents. But if they were evil like you say, then I don't care what they would've wanted me to do, I would do the opposite." replied Harry.

"I didn't say your parents were evil, I said they were a witch and wizard. And they were quite good. They fought and died protecting the world and you from an evil wizard." Dumbledore tried to explain.

"Well, they shouldn't have gotten mixed up in all that witchcraft anyway. It's all evil according to God, so it was bound to go badly for them wasn't it?" said Harry.

At that point, Vernon intervened and said. "Look sir, Harry has made it plain to the first visitor Mr. Hagrid and now to yourself, that he wishes nothing to do with you freakish lot. So, it's time for you to leave and please do not darken our doorstep with your nonsense again."

"Thank you uncle Vernon." said Harry.

"You're quite welcome lad." said Vernon, gently patting Harry on the shoulder, as he got up to show Dumbledore to the door.

...

Dumbledore informed Minister Fudge of Harry's refusal to attend school and his reasons.

"Preposterous! How can the boy-who-lived not attend Hogwarts? and where does he get all this magic is evil nonsense from?" said Fudge.

"Well, for one thing he doesn't know he's the boy-who-lived. He knows nothing of his past or the wizarding world. He only found out that magic exists and that he is a wizard about a week and half ago on his eleventh birthday. And I don't know where all the evil talk is coming from. It must be a muggle thing, like when they used to burn witches at the stake." replied Dumbledore.

"And whose damn fault is it that he was raised in a muggle household all these years, ignorant of his heritage, ignorant if his own history, and raised to believe as muggles do, hmmm?" said Fudge.

"As you know, he is perfectly in his right not to attend school. It has never been compulsory. So, what do you expect me to do about it?" concluded Fudge.

"You could quickly push through a law to that very effect before school is to start." said Dumbledore, with that stupid twinkle in his eye.

"Oh hell no Dumbledore. This is going to be bad enough for me as it is without me being seen ramming through a law intentionally designed to circumvent the will and the right of the boy-who-lived to choose for himself, and in so doing, doing the same to every other citizen of the commonwealth in the bargain. No Dumbledore. Just accept the fact that Harry Potter does not want to attend Hogwarts and go back to teaching the ones that do." said Fudge.

"Cornelius, I don't think this will look good for you politically." threatened Dumbledore.

"Ill take my chances." replied Fudge.

Dumbledore left in a huff.

The next day, the Daily Prophet ran a release from the ministry press office informing the wizarding world that Harry Potter, the boy-who-lived would not be attending Hogwarts and had outright rejected the wizarding world because of the religious beliefs he was raised under as a muggle the past ten years. And that in fact until just weeks ago he didn't even know he was a wizard, or that magic existed. And knows nothing of his own history-all thanks to Albus Dumbledore, who took it upon his own authority to remove baby Harry from the wizarding world and sent him to live with his muggle relatives who hate magic.

Dumbledore knew he should've seen that one coming. not for the first time he wondered if he was getting too old for this.

Every one of his professors stormed into his office to have words with him, not the least of which was McGonagall, and he started receiving an average dozen howlers per day, including ones from the Weasley's, the Augusta Longbottom, Remus Lupin, and even Sirius Black was thinking of escaping Azkaban in his dog form just to go bite the old codger.

...

Dumbledore decided he would try playing the money card with young Mr. Potter, he himself still possessed the Potters vault key.

A few days later and with only two weeks until school started, Dumbledore showed back up at the Dursley's to try speaking to Harry one last time.

"...so you see Harry, your parents left you with quite a bit of money that they intended to see you through your school years and well beyond. But this money is in the wizarding bank called Gringotts run by Goblins, and you will have to come to the wizarding world to get it." said Dumbledore.

At first harry made a scoffing sound, then he turned toward his aunt and uncle and said, "Let me talk this over with my aunt and uncle in private first." said Harry.

He convinced them they should at least go check out if this money is really there and "maybe if it is we could see if these Goblins could exchange it for real English money, then we could withdraw it all, put it into a new trust account for me, and the money problem we were discussing the other day about how you would be able to afford to send me to public school would be taken care of." said Harry.

...

"Okay, Mr. Dumbledore, we'll go with you to check to see if this money is real or not, but my aunt and uncle need to come too." said Harry.

...

So, they went to Gringotts and met with a Goblin teller named Griphook who said, "I see... and does Mr. Potter have his key?"

Then Dumbledore fished it out of one of his robe pockets and said, "here it is."

That act drew suspicious looks from Griphook, Harry, Vernon, Petunia... and a few portraits over on the wall were even looking at him funny.

"Strange." said Harry.

"What is strange Mr. Potter?" asked Griphook.

"Well first I thought it was strange that you expected is to have a key to the vault. But then I thought it is very strange that Mr. Dumbledore here actually had my vault key. A vault key that until just now I didn't even know existed." said Harry.

"I quite agree Mr. Potter, that is very strange indeed. As for the first observation, it is understandable since all you are aware of, is how muggle banks work." said Griphook.

"So, Professor Dumbledore, _why do you_ have Mr. Potters key?" asked  
>Griphook.<p>

Vernon, finally getting up the nerve to speak in this crazy place said, nodding, "Yes, I would quite like to know that myself."

Dumbledore realized that the truthful answer is that he removed it from the Potters home the night after Voldemort murdered Harry's parents. He knew he couldn't say that...so, he just stammered out a feeble excuse that he was holding it for Harry for when he returned to the wizarding world.

"And why would you do that? Why wouldn't you drop it off with us along with any other belongings or inheritance from his parents? Who are you to do such a thing? And do you have any more of Harry's possessions, _wizard_?" Vernon said with a snarl on the word wizard.

Immediately, Griphook decided he liked this human Dursley a little more if he already had a healthy disdain for wizards.

"Mr. Griphook, if you please. Is there any other reason for Mr. Dumbledore to remain involved in these matters? This after all is family business, and Mr. Dumbledore is not family." said Petunia.

"No, he does not. In fact, why don't we retire to a more private room to discuss matters. Professor Dumbledore you will not be accompanying us." said Griphook.

A stunned Albus Dumbledore watched Griphook walk his personal project into a private room with his family and the only leverage he had on the boy.

...

They learned from Griphook that Harry's vault contains about eight hundred thousand galleons, which in sterling equaled £4 million.

All three sets of jaws hit the floor.

Harry asked Griphook if it was possible for him to exchange all of that to sterling, transfer it to a normal so-called muggle bank, and close out the account.

Griphook explained that _he_ could not but that his guardians could. However, their inheritance rules would require that the bulk of the money is reserved in trust for Harry's access only when he becomes of age. Until then, his relatives could withdraw up to £12,000 per year for his care, and the necessary amounts for public school. They could also get back credit for the previous ten years since they did not know of these funds sooner.

They all agreed to that course of action, therefore Griphook completed the paperwork and transferred £120,000 for Harry's upkeep the past ten years, the remaining £3.88 million to a special trust fund at Barclays with Harry's name as the sole beneficiary and his aunt petunia as the trustee, with the aforementioned limitations.

All three seemed to be happy with that.

And Griphook agreed to escort them safely home so they didn't have to depend on Dumbledore.

After that, Harry was well taken care of by the Dursley's. They didn't love him per se. They knew what he really was, even if he did rightly reject it. And they knew that Harry had misunderstood that being a wizard was in his blood. That in reality even though he could choose to reject using it and not practice magic, he couldn't actually change _what_ he was. Harry had not understood that distinction yet and they weren't about to explain it to him. And the wizards, as one would expect, were too dense to really understand Harry's moral dilemma either. Idiots really, the lot of them. Harry they could understand, he was just a little boy after all.

Anyway, with the money, they were being given a stipend to help care for him, so care for his physical health and well being they did. Henceforth he had his own room, nice furniture, good clothes, ate well, received proper medical care, and attended public school, played futball, and had several good friends.

Then in September Nineteen Ninety-Four, at age fourteen, Harry Potter's name came out of a magic goblet at Hogwarts, and the fourth of three names called was, you guessed it, Harry Potter.

Harry knew nothing of this of course and was just starting his first week of his fourth year at the prestigious Charterhouse School.

...

That being the case, and since Dumbledore had secretly kept close watch on Harry's whereabouts. He knew exactly where he was. He would be able to use this to finally get Harry into the wizarding world.

Of course there was a good chance this tournament could kill him even if he did have three years of Hogwarts going into it, and he has none. Then there was the obvious plot of someone's to enter Harry into this tournament. Whoever it is was, had it in for him one way or another. He assumed this was another plot of Riddle's, given the other crap he had pulled in two of the last three years.

Worse was that as a judge, he could not assist Harry in any way. So he would need to put another plot of his own into motion. Hopefully leveraging compatible muggleborns who would be most able to relate to him, and maybe they can get it through to him that not all magic was evil. Yes, this could be just the break he was looking for.

As luck? would have it. Bad for Harry and good for Dumbledore. Charterhouse had already sent Harry home from school after having three bad sick days at school that got progressively worse. Now Harry was laying in bed at Privet drive with a high fever and having difficulty remaining conscious. He'd already been to the doctor, and if it continued to get worse, the next step was a stay in the hospital.

Dumbledore arrived at Privet on the fourth day just then finally having a chance to get away.

He explained the tournament of the school, the magic artifact that someone tricked into selecting Harry as a fourth contestant of the school. He managed to convince them of the feasibility of Harry's otherwise undetermined illness being due to the magic binding him to the contract of the goblet, that if he didn't come to Hogwarts to compete, he would lose his magic, and then soon after he would die, which appeared to be happening.

So, they let Harry return with him to the school. And Harry agreed, believing also that it might be his only chance. The fever had made his will too weak to argue any of it. So, Dumbledore conjured him a trunk and he packed a lot of his muggle clothes, books, and his Bible. He planned to do a lot of praying to God for His forgiveness and mercy for him having been born a freak like his parents.

...

And so it was that Harry arrived at Hogwarts, first in the hospital wing. Where she pronounced him fit as a fiddle except for the worst case of magical exhaustion she had ever seen and bad dehydration. She kept him overnight for fluids and dreamless sleep.

The next day was a Saturday and Dumbledore arranged for his select committee of muggleborns led by one from his own age group, Hermione Granger, to begin introducing him to the magical world and to begin tutoring him to have a chance of surviving the tournament. For this he also assigned his personal house elf Tipsy to help Harry's tutors help him. That was as far as he could personally go without crossing a line.

The wizarding world would not know what hit them.

The End


	2. Chapter 2 - Okay, now it's really done

**DISCLAIMER: ** I do not own Harry Potter, Stargate, or anything else you may find in my story that in any way resembles a character, story, or plot that is owned by another person.

Review Responses, if any, are at the end of the chapter.

_A/N: Okay, I decided to give you a second, and actual final chapter. So that you would know what happened after that._

Chapter 2

What might have happened after that.

When Harry was released from the hospital wing, he was met there by Professor McGonagall, whom Dumbledore assigned to be his minder while there. And his select muggle-born tutoring committee.

His muggle-born committee was led by Hermione Granger and included fellow fourth year's Justin Finch-Fletchley (Hufflepuff), Kevin Entwhistle (Ravenclaw).

Their first order of business was to escort Harry to Diagon Alley to obtain school robes and most importantly a wand.

Immediately Harry refused, saying "I will not wear the same clothes as you sinners and I most certainly will not touch one of your so-called magic wands."

Harry continued to wear the school uniform of the prestigious Charterhouse School that he attended, and would always be seen with a wooden cross hung around his neck and a large well worn leather Bible in his hands.

They argued with him about all of it, but they agreed from the start to recognize his personal rights and that while he agreed to stay at their school to participate in the tournament he could not get out of. That he was in no way, shape or form to be considered a student of that school and when the tournament was over, he was leaving.

The kids had a difficult time getting him to talk to them at all. Internally Harry was warring over being there at all, especially now that he had his health and strength back.

He had his own private dorm room because he was not likely to get along well with a bunch of random guys (all evil wizards as far as he was concerned), if he was suddenly chucked in with them.

He did take all meals and sat next to Hermione, who for this purpose was joined by Justin and Kevin, at all meals. So, they sat at the Gryffindor table since Professor McGonagall was to be his so-called "sponsor" of the evil school of witches and wizards.

Occasionally, some of the school ghosts would try to frighten him and talk to him. The first time he saw one, Nearly Headless Nick naturally, he was scared right out of his seat. But, he quickly calmed and just grasped his cross and said, "be gone spirit. You cannot harm me, Jesus my savior will protect me from all wickedness."

Eventually, Hermione got him to at least begin to engage in a debate over the subject, one evening after dinner, sitting in the Gryffindor common room.

"Don't you think you are being quite harsh on the rest of us, with your attitude that we are all evil and that we will all perish in the lake of fire, doomed to all eternity? It is obvious is it not, that magic is real? We're not faking it. You've seen it for yourself now. Ghosts are real and they are just here, they don't hurt us." said Hermione.

"The Bible doesn't say that magic and ghosts aren't real Hermione. It in fact admits that they are by bringing the subject up in the first place. It simply tells us, _**not**_ to practice divination or sorcery, engage in witchcraft or cast spells, and not to turn to mediums and wizards." countered Harry.

"So, it's not a matter of believing whether its existence is true or not, it is a matter of not doing it. It is the law of God, given to us through his prophets in the Holy Bible." continued Harry.

"I'm glad that the school decided to at least get the three of you, so-called muggle-born wizards and witches to be my guides while I am here. I know that at least some of you had to have learned something about these things yourselves when you were little. Before they came to get you when you were eleven, to tell you that you had the ability to cast spells, and to recruit you into their coven. Don't you remember any of that? What do your parents think about all of this? Do they all approve?" asked Harry.

"Surely, I can't be the only one that they ever came for that knew the truth and refused them?" said Harry.

There was some silence after that as Hermione, Justin, and Kevin seemed to contemplate how to answer.

It was Justin who spoke up and said, "I remember all of it. I was down for Eton before they came to tell me I was a wizard. My mum and dad are serious believers in the Anglican Church, and they expected me to volunteer to be a big part of that community at Eton. I didn't want to do that, so I was glad I was selected to come here instead."

"So, you wanted to turn your back on God and become one of these detestable sinners." replied Harry, both as a question and a statement.

"I never believed much in it anyway. I only went to Church because they made me. For my parents part, they didn't like it. But I don't think they saw things the way you do." said Justin.

"I think they believed in God instead of magic. Meaning I think that they would've said, 'magic isn't real because God said so,' not the way you've taken it. So, when it was proven that magic was real, it made them re-think it at least in my case, and let me go to Hogwarts." said Justin.

"I don't think I'm interpreting it at all. The Bible doesn't say, 'if magic were to exist' or 'even though it isn't real' you shouldn't practice it. It says, simply, 'don't do it.' Why would the prophets have bothered to mention it at all if it weren't real?" countered Harry.

"I don't know. I just know that's how a lot of people see it." answered Justin.

"Beside that, I don't think that what we're doing is evil." said Justin.

"I see it like this. There are all kinds of magic spells or potions and what have you, but it is what you do with them and what you intend when you use them that determines if what you are doing is good or evil or not." said Justin.

"For instance, take yourself. Your mum and dad used magic, but they only used it to fight against a bad wizard who used magic for evil. He did things like, used magic to control peoples minds and hurt and kill people who weren't pureblood wizards, or anyone else in general that disagreed with him. And he tried to murder you right? So, he was evil. But the people that fought him, they were fighting against evil." said Justin.

"I understand what you are saying Justin. It's like in the normal world, or what you call the muggle world I guess. We have guns. Guns aren't evil. But, you can use a gun to do evil and intend to do evil. Or you can use a gun to protect, to defend against those who are trying to do evil." said Harry.

"But, the Bible does not say, 'do not kill,' it says 'do not murder.' The question of what means one would use to murder isn't mentioned. Clearly they didn't even have the concept of a gun then, so that wasn't the point, it is just one example of how to kill or murder. God doesn't say, it's okay to murder if you use this weapon or this method, but not these others, he simply says, 'don't do it.'" said Harry.

In the case of magic, God says, 'don't use it'. He doesn't say, it's okay to use it so long as you have good intentions." said Harry.

Then Hermione interrupted. "I see your point there Harry. But, I don't see what it has to do with the question of magic itself being good or evil." said Hermione.

"Hermione, it's not me making a point that magic is good or evil, it is me making the point that God said it _is_ evil. He did not leave it open for us to debate in the first place." said Harry.

"And, my point is that in Justin's example of my parents or the evil wizard they fought. The wizard would've have been evil even if he hadn't been a wizard at all, but just an ordinary man using some other ordinary means to murder my parents and try to kill me. The point being that Justin's point is irrelevant to what I was talking about." said Harry.

"There are a number of things you can do to be considered a sinner, or detestable to the Lord. One is magic, another is murder, there are others right? like stealing, etc." said Harry.

"The fact that my parents used magic to protect themselves from someone evil, doesn't mean that they were good, or that they were good in the face of the Lord. At best we just have one person who was more evil than the other's killing other people who did evil." said Harry.

"I don't understand what any of that proves on way or another." said Kevin, joining in.

"It's not really proving anything different than what I've already said many times. But, Justin mentioned my parents by example, so I simply answered him." said Harry.

"The bottom line for me is that the Bible says _not_ to practice magic, so I'm _not_ going to. It doesn't say, 'well as long as you don't break any other of Gods laws while you do it, it's okay.' It says, simply, _do not_. That is my point."

...

That didn't seem to get anyone anywhere, but at least Harry was talking to them finally.

But, he continued to relentlessly refuse to touch a wand or to learn any magic. He said he would face whatever the tournaments challenges were with the blessing and guidance of the Holy Spirit. And if it is something he cannot overcome without magic, then so be it, that was Gods will.

The day of the first task arrived and he was herded into a tent to get ready for it like all the others.

They explained what the first task was and Harry exclaimed, "Dragons are real? You've got to be kidding me?"

The other champions just looked wide eyed at Harry all thinking, he was dead meat. But, they had their own problem to deal with at the moment, namely said dragons.

Mr. Crouch said, "Of course they are Mr. Potter, now listen up to what you need to do..." and he proceeded to explain it to them.

Harry reached into the bag to grab his random choice of dragon and it was the Hungarian Horntail. All Mr. Crouch could say to that was, "Ooh, the Hungarian Horntail. I'm sorry Mr. Potter."

...

When it was Harry's turn, he meekly walked into the arena, with his cross clasped tightly in one hand and his Bible in the other.

He noticed that the dragon was chained up, so he took the measure of the chain and figured that if he just stood at a decent distance from it, out of its range, he might survive it.

That wouldn't help him get the egg, but who cared really.

So, Harry went down to the arena and approached it slightly but staying what he thought was well out of its way.

He knelt on one knee and prayed so that everyone in the stands and heaven above, could hear him:

"The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters. He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake. Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me. Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever. Amen."

He then bowed his head and said a silent prayer for guidance that would be between just him and his Maker. Then he continued out loud with a final prayer, "Our Father, which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy Name. Thy Kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, As it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses, As we forgive them that trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, But deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom, The power, and the glory, For ever and ever. Amen."

Harry then stood up still grasping his Bible and cross in the other, he cautiously took a few more steps toward the dragon, until he was close enough that he was sure it could hear him, and said:

"I am sorry to disturb you mother dragon. I mean no harm to you or your babies."

"You see those people," and Harry gestured to the wizards and witches in the stands, "made me sick with their magic and took me away from my home and said I had to come here to compete in this tournament or else I would die." And he continued to explain the whole story to her and that he was supposed to get a fake golden egg from her clutch.

All the while he did not know he was hissing and speaking parseltongue, which the dragon understood. Harry had only hoped that somehow the dragon would understand at least his peaceful intentions somehow.

The great dragon stretched her neck around to look back at her clutch, and she snorted a bit of flame thinking, "'damned if there isn't a fake golden age in my clutch."

She stomped over to it, grabbed the fake egg with one clawed foot and tossed the egg over to Harry which hit the ground and rolled to a stop right in front of his feet.

Then the dragon replied and Harry understood, not realizing how it was he understood, just assumed the dragon could speak English.

"There you go young human. This will help you then, yes? And remember, they just said you had to _compete_. They didn't say you had to win. Be careful and good luck." said the Dragon.

She turned toward the stands and let out a terrible roar and belch of flame, indicating her displeasure at the entire thing and stomped off back to her clutch to sit down peacefully.

Harry just bowed and said, "Thank you." The only words addressed to the dragon that had come out in English. Not that Harry knew one way or the other.

...

Afterwards his assigned companions, Hermione, Justin and Kevin, all lambasted him with question about him speaking to the dragon in dragon language.

"Did you know you could speak to dragons, Harry?" asked Hermione.

"Can't everyone? I just spoke to it in English and it answered me in English." replied Harry.

"No you didn't, you spoke in dragon language or something. All we heard was hissing coming from both you and the dragon, until the end when we heard you say, thank you, to it." replied Hermione.

"I don't know what you're talking about." answered Harry truthfully.

There was a big controversy going around the school that Harry could speak to dragons. Which eventually other more educated rumor mongerers sussed out that it meant he could speak parsel tongue, because it was all hissing like a snake.

The rumor that made it around the school from the upperclassmen, allegedly confirmed by one of the teachers, was that it was most likely parsel tongue because one who spoke that could speak to all reptilian creatures that share the same body of language with snakes, which did include dragons.

Everyone else accepted that as fact at one point, but not Harry. He thought they were all nutters. Of course he had already come to accept that the whole place was full of nutters.

But, nevertheless. Somehow, Harry had completed the task faster than the others and was in first place. Much to the embarrassment of everyone else, not the least of which was his fellow competitors, who began openly taunting him like many others in the school had been because of his anti-magic stance.

...

The Yule Ball came and went without Harry's participation because he utterly refused to play along with anything that did not directly involve competing in the tournament. Nor did he want to be forced to dance with one of the evil witches.

The time of the second task came and Harry never figured out what he was supposed to do with the egg beside listening to it screech once or twice.

Fortunately for him, Hermione 'borrowed' the egg from him and figured it out herself and told him to be prepared to swim in the Black Lake to retrieve something important to him.

So, on the day of the task he was hustled out to the Black Lake, not having noticed that he forgot his Bible. Then he remembered the rules of the task. Obviously someone stole it from him to use as the object he must retrieve. Boy, he was going to be mad if his Bible was all ruined from being soaking wet.

When the whistle blew, Harry jumped into the Lake like everyone else. But, unlike everyone else, didn't dive under water and use some kind of magic to safely swim to the bottom and center of the Lake. He just swam on the surface to the center of the Lake, no further than he thought he could go in under half an hour because it couldn't be any further out then that or else no one could win the tournament.

So, he got as far as he thought he should go that made any sense and dove down to try to find the bottom of the Lake.

He quickly realized that it was far too deep for him to see down to or to ever get to the bottom of the Lake. The farthest he could dive down was about fifteen feet or so before the pressure hurt his ears too much, so he gave up and went back up to the surface.

Figuring that it was like the dragon said, he had tried. He just couldn't do it. So, he swam back to the platform where the judges and spectators were. He made it back just under the one hour time limit, but of course he failed to get his Bible back.

He received a zero for the task, but his Bible was returned to him, having been protected by a charm to remain dry. Not that he knew that, and no one in the faculty wanted to be the one to tell the mini fire and brimstone preacher that someone had cast a spell on his Bible.

...

The third task came up and he entered last, having gone from first to last place after the second task.

He got about half way in, then at one point ran away from an Acromantula that almost made him piss his pants. Finally, he ran far enough with it chasing him, until he found another contestant, who zapped it with their stick.

From there he just followed the very pretty evil witch girl from a distance, figuring she could stay between him and their pet evil monsters.

...

Then the big guy Krum came up looking wild eyed and attacked the girl and she was stuck in the bushes. When the boy just looked funny at Harry and then left, Harry crept up to her before she was completely taken under and reminded her that the judges said to use red sparks if she was in trouble.

...

Which she did, and then she just poofed away. Harry assumed it was to safety somehow.

By that point Harry figured he was lost and wasn't about to go chasing after the crazy boy.

He figured he'd done enough to compete, so he just stood around and waited until one of the others won and finally the whole thing would be over.

Which he did, and it did. Finally, their was a blast of a horn and the tall hedge maze disappeared.

So Harry walked back over to the judges stand... where he saw a bandaged but, apparently safe Fleur, and a despondent Krum. Diggory seemed to be missing.

There was some confusion because everyone knew someone had touched the cup, because the horn went off and the hedge disappeared.

Dumbledore, Fudge, and the other judges started questioning the three. Harry had nothing to say except that he saw Krum attack Delacour, and he reminded her to use her red sparks, then he got lost.

...

After some conversation, Diggory appeared back in the center of where the maze had been, bloody and clutching the cup, which they were now guessing had also been a portkey. He wasn't moving. Madam Pomfrey rushed to check on him, and quietly declared him dead.

...

Dum dum dum...

'Madeye' Moody tried to surreptitiously lead Potter away from the judges, "to safety" according to him.

And Harry just yelled out, "Get your hands off me you smelly old demon."

Which got Dumbledore's and the other's attention. Crouch knowing he'd been made out, started firing spells. The first one at Harry which a certain brown bushy haired girl saw coming and pushed him down and out of the way, landing in a rather comfortable and compromising position on top of him. Leading to much blushing and stammering from the two of them, meanwhile the adult wizards returned fire and rounded up Madeye Moody who as it turned out was a polyjuiced imposter.

...

The aftermath of all that was a non-event for Harry, because frankly, none of it had anything to do with him.

Sadly, Cedric Diggory did turn up dead. Apparently cut in the arm, and then killed with a so-called Killing Curse.

But, no one knew why or what happened, or even how he could've been returned if the prize cup had been a portkey.

They all rightly concluded that someone, whoever the perpetrator was, had intentionally returned Diggory with the cup, after murdering him.

With the tournament over and Harry's binding to it therefore concluded, Harry made ready to leave.

Dumbledore and his cronies tried once again to convince Harry to stay. Finally realizing that the efforts of their muggle-born guides, did not work.

Dumbledore couldn't force him to stay in the face of the public and political circus that surrounded the whole affair, any more than he could force him to even use magic any more than the tournament itself had failed to.

As Harry was escorted home, he and Hermione decided to keep in touch the normal way, through muggle post and when she was home for the summers. Because both of them rather enjoyed their time wriggling on the ground together when Hermione saved his life.

There were some evils after all that a teenage boy simply cannot escape from.

The End.


End file.
